The Johnson Jingle: Luke's Birth Story

Tomorrow our little Luke will turn one year old - already! It makes me think about where we were one year ago and how our lives changed in the most blessed way. Let's take a walk down memory lane...

Just about one year and one week ago, Bryan and I were enjoying a quiet evening at home when he suddenly became severely ill with stomach pains and vomiting - classic food poisoning symptoms. We went to bed and a couple of hours later, I woke up with the same symptoms. I didn't wake Bryan because I knew he felt horrible, so I ran back and forth between the bathroom and living room for several hours. I remember lying on the couch and watching the clock...every two minutes I was having horrible cramps. According to all of the books I read and the articles on-line, the pains I was feeling were contractions. Since this was my first pregnancy and since I had just puked my guts up for what felt like forever, I wasn't certain the pains I was feeling were really true contractions; after all, food poisoning can make a person have pretty bad stomach pains. I couldn't sleep because the pains were so uncomfortable so I waited until a reasonable hour - oh, 6 or 7 a.m. - and I called my mom. She convinced me to go to the hospital to get checked out and hydrated since Bryan nor I could keep anything down - not even water.

So...we go to the hospital so perhaps I could get an IV with some fluids. We get checked in and the nurse hooks up the baby monitor and promptly says to me, "do you know that you are having contractions? They are really close together." So we talk some more, she checks my progress and reports that I am in labor and need to be admitted. WHAT? That is how Bryan and I felt at that moment. LABOR? Right NOW? Today? But we're not ready! We hadn't even decided on a name yet! Were my bags packed? No. Work done? No. House cleaned? Double no. After the initial shock wore off, Bryan said that we needed to decide on a name...

We had narrowed it down to two names: Luke and Beckham. I know what you are most likely thinking right now...Beckham??? That was the typical reaction we got anytime we mentioned the name. The next question was, "like the soccer player? As in David Beckham?" We liked the name but not because of the soccer player. We all know that in the end Luke was our decision and I am so glad - it fits him perfectly!

So, cut to a picture of us in the Labor and Delivery room. Bryan was laying on the couch with cold rags on his head and neck trying to sleep and I was in the bed with wires and monitors everywhere. The on-call doctor came in and checked me then confirmed that I was definitely in labor and that we would have a baby by 5:00 p.m. We accepted that our little baby was coming whether our chores were done or not and it didn't take long to mentally prepare for that. But then I started thinking about other things like...well, labor. How Bryan was going to hold my hand if he could barely get off the couch? How would he be able to go with our baby to the nursery and take pictures if he didn't have enough energy to hold the camera? Aaahh, the thoughts of a true paparazzo - always worried about the pictures! So needless to say, seeing the familiar face of my regular doctor (not the on-call doctor) when she strolled in the room to check on us was a well needed distraction. What happened next was unbelievable to us...

Dr. Strain examined me and cooly said that we probably wouldn't be having a baby today. WHAT? WHAT did she say? No baby today? No WAY! How could that be? She told us that we would wait and see but that she thought it would be about another week or so. Oh, the emotions! I just couldn't believe it. We were mentally prepared and now we had to wait longer to see what happened. Wait is just what we did. We waited and waited and when Dr. Strain came back to see how we were doing before she went home, I told her that I felt a lot better and that I was hungry. The doctor told me to order some room service (they kept me overnight) and it was at that moment that I distinctly remember Grandma Johnson, who was sitting down, kind of slap both hands on her knees and stand up to leave. She said, "well, we're not having a baby today." Apparently they don't let you eat when you are about to deliver! So there would be no baby today after all.

Bryan and I went to see Dr. Strain early the next week and decided to schedule Luke's delivery. She said that he looked like a big baby (she thought over 8 pounds) and that his lungs and other organs were definitely ready to function in the outside world. We chose Friday, November 14th since my doc would be there that day but would be out of town the following week for Thanksgiving. The delivery day went really well...I was induced early in the morning (around 7:30 I think) and my doctor said that we needed to have the baby by 6:00 p.m. because she had a hair appointment! LOL! My doc is the best - she is hysterical and has the most outgoing personality. Anyway, I had to get my epidural twice because the first time only one side of my body was affected. The second time was much better! At about 5:30 p.m., I started pushing and at 6:00 p.m. Luke Bryan Johnson was born weighing in at 7 lbs. 10 oz. and measuring 20.5 inches long. This little boy has brought so much joy to so many people! Here are some pictures of Luke on his birth day! Check out all of the smiling faces...

Oh, and if you are wondering, my doctor's hair person kept the salon open for her so she didn't miss her appointment! And, as an extra side note, Bryan and I got sick after sharing a pack of chocolate Hostess cupcakes from a vending machine. You know the ones - the chocolate ones with the white cream inside and the little white swirly icing thing on the top. I shouldn't have been eating that anyway and I am not sure I will ever eat another one again!